


Changing

by lazybum89



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Marauders' Era, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-05
Updated: 2015-09-03
Packaged: 2017-11-20 08:25:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/583273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazybum89/pseuds/lazybum89
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While in Malfoy Manor, Harry, Ron and Hermione end up in the Marauders 7th year. When finding out their timeline no longer exists, what will they do? What will they do in regards to the Horcruxes and the Deathly Hallows?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Last time I checked, I was still lazybum89 and not J.K. Rowling.
> 
> A/N: August 2015 – So I edited this chapter when I re-read it to work on chapter 2 and the next few chapters… I have to say, it's been a while (really, really sorry about that) and I forgot my original outline for this story (I've changed computers since then and sadly not all my computer files made the switch intact), so I'm not 100% sure if my original plan will still be incorporated – and by that I mean the pairings I had initially chosen (now I'm not sure if there even will be pairings...) as I think I'm going in a completely different direction than I originally wanted… Just an FYI for you all.

Voldemort was coming. Harry could feel it in his scar.

"Ron! Hermione! Come over here quick! Dobby can you get us out?" said Harry, quickly as Ron and Hermione came over to where he and Dobby were. Dobby had already taken Luna, Ollivander, Dean and Griphook away to Shell Cottage.

"Dobby can," said Dobby and he took hold of Harry's hand and Ron's, who was holding Hermione tightly after her ordeal with Bellatrix.

Bellatrix, who had gotten over her shock of having a chandelier almost fall on her quickly, let out a screech and threw her knife.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all watched it fly towards them as Dobby popped them away. Harry and Ron felt Dobby jerk slightly as they left Malfoy Manor and they wished that they were going somewhere safe and that Dobby didn't get hit by the knife.

As they were zooming away, Harry, Ron and Hermione thought it was taking longer than usual to be going anywhere by magic.

' _I hope we are still going to Shell Cottage! Or at least somewhere safe!'_ thought Harry worriedly as were Ron and Hermione, although Hermione was just thinking about going somewhere safe, away from her torture.

After what Harry, Ron and Hermione, who was barely holding it together, guessed was a minute, they landed with a bang and when they thought bang, they really meant _BANG!_ They were all still standing on their feet though.

Dobby let go of Harry and Ron's hand and fell to the ground. Harry dropped to the ground as well to check on Dobby as Ron and Hermione, shocked as she was, looked around and realized they were at Hogwarts in the Great Hall during what looked like dinner.

' _This isn't good,'_ thought Hermione and she took the wand that Ron handed her, which she recognized as her own. Ron must have gotten it back before he and Harry came up for her.

Hermione and Ron took up a defense position around Harry and Dobby, knowing that Hogwarts was firmly in Voldemort's hands and not wanting Harry to be taken away from them again, especially since they just escaped a Death Eater stronghold.

Then they noticed something strange. Dumbledore was at the table. They narrowed their eyes in suspicion at that. Dumbledore was dead! They had attended his funeral, the Minister himself read his Will and distributed to them the things that he had left them. This had to be an imposter. It was probably Snape's sick idea.

"Dobby, are you all right?" asked Harry, kneeling beside Dobby.

Dobby moved his little hands. Bellatrix's knife was sticking out of his little chest.

"Harry – Potter," said Dobby, weakly and quietly enough that no one but Harry could hear it.

"You're going to be fine, Dobby. Hermione! We need help. Somebody help!" said Harry, sounding panicky and shocked.

Hermione and Ron exchanged a look. They didn't know what to do or who to trust here and Harry panicking wasn't helping the situation. Everyone was looking at them in shock and suspicion, a look, Hermione was sure was mirrored on her and Ron's face.

Before Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived in the Great Hall, a normal dinner was in progress for the residents of Hogwarts. They were a month into the new school year in what was the Troublesome Foursome's, as termed by the professors and staff, final school year and the professors and staff couldn't wait for it to be over. The school would be peaceful again, as peaceful as a magical school could be, without them pranking someone every two days. Although, they hadn't been pranking students or staff as often this year, only twice in the whole month, which had several professors on edge as if they were waiting for the other shoe to drop. Others thought, however, they were finally growing up as a result of one of their ringleaders, James Potter, who had somehow become Head Boy, finally getting Lily Evans, the Head Girl, to agree to date him.

Madam Pomfrey was sitting next to Professor McGonagall, who could usually be found sitting beside Headmaster Dumbledore, discussing the recent weeks. They were friends who were in the same year and house when they went to Hogwarts and remained friends all this time.

Their conversation and many others around the Hall were interrupted with a loud BANG! Suddenly there were three older teens and a house-elf in the Hall. The elf let go of the two hands he was holding and fell to the ground as did one of the teens to check on the elf. The other two teens each took a wand, the one teen handing a wand to the other, and they raised them, trying to point them at everyone, while moving into a defensive position around the teen and elf on the ground when they caught sight of the headmaster. They looked to be in shock when they first saw him but it quickly morphed into suspicion.

However, the teenage girl's wand arm was shaking ever so slightly that only a few picked up on, including Pomfrey and McGonagall.

' _She looks like she is in shock,'_ thought Madam Pomfrey. _'Something dreadful must have happened to them.'_

Everyone was just staring at one another, not doing anything, when the teen on the ground shouted out, loud enough for everyone to hear in the silence, "You're going to be fine, Dobby. Hermione! We need help. Somebody help!"

Still no one moved and the teens were alternating between staring at everyone and the boy and the elf, who she just noticed had a knife in his little chest and was slowly dying from the blood loss.

Madam Pomfrey looked at Professor McGonagall, who nodded once at her, her decision made. They both stood up, ignoring Dumbledore who seemed to be in just as much shock as everyone, and walked over to them.

"We'll help," said Madam Pomfrey softly kneeling down beside the elf and the teen.

Harry looked up, finally realizing where they were and he looked at Ron and Hermione who were still tense. Then he looked back at Madam Pomfrey who was making swift work at removing the knife and trying to stop the bleeding.

"Lower your wands. We won't hurt you," said Professor McGonagall softly. She could tell they had just escaped from somewhere and although she was protective of the school and its occupants, she could tell these teens weren't about to hurt anyone first. They would defend themselves, if necessary, but they wouldn't attack them first. When asked about it later, she wouldn't be able to say why she trusted that they wouldn't attack, she that just did.

Besides, Hogwarts herself let these four in and only she truly got to decide who could Portkey, Apparate or come in via house-elf through the wards, unless the wards were destroyed, then she couldn't do much.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had always trusted their Head of House and now that they were looking at her hard, they realized she looked somewhat younger than what they remembered. So what did that mean?

Suddenly Hermione looked at Ron and Harry, who had looked back up for a moment, eyes widening. She knew where they were or at least she had a strong suspicion of where they were. She nodded at both of them, to let them know it was okay and they were safe for now, and she and Ron both lowered their wands slightly.

The rest of the school let out a breath they didn't know they were holding but they had yet to utter a single word, still engrossed in what was happening in front of them or in shock that it had happened at all.

Before Hermione and Ron could do much more, though, Madam Pomfrey, still kneeling on the ground and working furiously to save the little elf's life, said, "We need to get him to the Hospital Wing. All of my things are there. You," she said to the teen on the ground, "need to carry – Dobby, was it?" Harry nodded his head. "You need to carry Dobby to the Hospital Wing, I can't move my hands right now or he will bleed out, you understand?"

"I do," said Harry, nodding his head in understanding, trusting Ron and Hermione to watch his back like always, and he slowly stood up with Dobby and began walking steadily and at a somewhat fast pace out of the Great Hall with Madam Pomfrey to the Hospital Wing.

"You should all stick together," said McGonagall as soon as she realized that the two teens left were more interested in where the other teen and elf went than anything. "Plus, you," she nodded at Hermione, "need to get checked out as well as soon as Madam Pomfrey finishes saving the elf's life."

"His name is Dobby," said Hermione softly, although she nodded her head in agreement as did Ron.

"You need to get checked out as soon as Madam Pomfrey finishes saving Dobby's life," said McGonagall as if there were no interruption and she wasn't repeating herself. "I'll lead you there myself. Follow me. We will be fine, Headmaster," she added to Dumbledore, who was slowly getting over his shock enough to nod at his Deputy Headmistress, and the three of them left the Hall in complete silence.

Dumbledore couldn't believe that Hogwarts let in three teens and a house-elf without consulting him. It threw him for a loop and he just couldn't get over it fast enough.

' _Dumbledore will get over it soon and come looking. He always does,'_ thought McGonagall irritably. ' _Although, why didn't he react right away when they showed up? Why did he sit in shock like that?'_ She glanced at her company and noticed they were still tense.

"You can relax. We're not going to hurt you," she repeated to them. They nodded still not relaxing any and she continued talking to them and said, "If you're worried about your friend and Dobby, you can relax to that as well. Madam Pomfrey is an excellent Healer and she would never abandon a patient to hurt someone."

"We know," said the boy quietly while the girl elbowed him and McGonagall paused.

"You know?" McGonagall whispered in shock.

"We'll explain more when we get to the others," said the girl, whose name McGonagall thought was Hermione. McGonagall nodded her head in agreement and they continued their walk in silence.

When they finally reached the Hospital Wing, Professor McGonagall opened the door and the three of them walked in as Madam Pomfrey was walking away from the bed that Dobby was laid on. He looked incredibly small in it.

"How is he?" asked Ron walking to stand over beside Harry, who was standing next to Dobby's bed looking down at him with blood on his hands and shirt, with Hermione before either Professor McGonagall or Madam Pomfrey could stop them.

"Dobby will be just fine," said Madam Pomfrey. "House-elves are resilient little creatures, especially with good masters. His own magic will help heal his wound. I've done all I can, but he will be fine with a good night's rest."

"We're not his masters," said Hermione softly. Now that the danger was over and she was somewhere she had always considered safe, she felt like she was going to break down any moment. She leaned into Harry's shoulder who leaned back into her to help hold her up and Ron held her hand in comfort.

"He's a free elf," added Ron and Harry, looking at Dobby.

"Hmm," said Madam Pomfrey and after a glance at Professor McGonagall, she add, "I'm going to have to check all of you out, especially you." She nodded at Hermione. "You look like you've been through quite a round of torture."

Hermione just nodded her head, still leaning against Harry. Ron and Harry followed her lead and they nodded as well. If Hermione, who seemed to know what was going on more so than they did, decided it was okay to get checked out by someone who they thought they recognized as Madam Pomfrey, then they would as well. She was able to grasp the whole picture quicker than either of them and they trusted her judgment in this.

"Right," said Madam Pomfrey. "If you would come this way with me so –"

"No, you can do it right here so we can answer your questions together," said Hermione.

"You don't mind getting checked out in front of the young men," asked Professor McGonagall, sounding slightly scandalized.

"I was only cut and hit with a single 'Crucio' for two minutes. That doesn't need a thorough exam and you have a gown, don't you?" said Hermione.

"You're a Muggle-born?" asked Madam Pomfrey. She sounded shocked.

Hermione, Harry and Ron all stiffened at that. "That's not a problem, is it?" asked Harry, stiffly. He exchanged a quick look with Hermione and Ron, this could be confirmation that these people weren't who they really looked like. After all, no proper introduction was given. They hoped not though because they were tired and they needed a rest after their ordeal.

"Of course not," said Madam Pomfrey sounding insulted. She walked to a cabinet and got out a gown. "Muggle-borns are the only ones who ever ask for gowns."

Hermione, Harry and Ron nodded their heads at that and relaxed again.

"Here you go, dear. Go behind these curtains and change. We will be right out here waiting for you. I promise you, all three of you are safe here," said Madam Pomfrey, repeating that final part. Hermione nodded her head, gave Ron her bag after he let go of her hand, took the gown from Madam Pomfrey and walked around the curtains to change.

Harry, Ron, Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall waited in silence while Hermione changed. While they waited, Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall took this time to exchange a look and have a quick silent conversation while Harry and Ron alternating between looking at Dobby and listening to make sure Hermione was okay.

After a moment Hermione came out and sat on the bed next to Dobby's and waited for Madam Pomfrey to come over to do the exam.

While Madam Pomfrey was doing the exam, Professor McGonagall took the time to ask a few questions, "What are your names?"

"Can you lock the door and put up silencing wards before we say anything?" asked Ron, doing some quick thinking. Hermione and Harry nodded their approval at that. They didn't want anyone eavesdropping on this conversation. Professor McGonagall looked at them and agreed. She took out her wand and locked the door with a charm Ron, Harry and Hermione had never heard of and put up silencing wards around the door, windows and portraits that were in the room.

"This room is secure," said McGonagall looking at them.

"You silenced the pictures?" asked Hermione while Madam Pomfrey was putting ointment on the word carved into her skin after giving her a Calming Draft. She wasn't shaking any more or feeling like she wanted to break down and cry.

"Yes. They carry messages to the Headmaster. It's one of the reasons why he always knows what is going on in this school. You do know this is a school, correct?" replied McGonagall showing the three of them a little trust by giving them a little information.

"Ah," Harry, Ron and Hermione said, nodding their heads yes that they knew that they were in a school.

"I'm going to assume you don't want the Headmaster to know anything right now, right?" asked Professor McGonagall, unsure if she could carry this out without Dumbledore.

"Not right now," pleaded Hermione. "Not until we figured something out for ourselves first."

"I suppose I can give you that but first you need to answer some of my questions," replied McGonagall with a suddenly severe expression, as if she expected to be obeyed. Hermione, Ron and Harry nodded their heads in agreement, used to this expression. "Can I have your names? I'm Professor Minerva McGonagall and that's Madam Poppy Pomfrey."

"I'm Hermione," said Hermione going first so that Harry and Ron would understand to give only their first names.

"I'm Harry," said Harry, getting the hint.

"I'm Ron," said Ron, also getting the hint.

"No last names?" asked McGonagall, curiously.

"Can I ask my own question first?" asked Hermione. McGonagall nodded. "What year is it?"

Pomfrey, McGonagall, Harry and Ron all looked at her like she was crazy, but McGonagall recovered enough to say, "It's 1977."

Hermione nodded her head as if she expected that answer while Harry and Ron looked slightly horrified.

"Why do you want to know?" asked Pomfrey, as she gave Hermione a final checkup.

Hermione and Ron looked at Harry. It was mostly his story to tell.

"It's a kind of a long story and our last names would have to do with that as well," said Harry softly.

Professor McGonagall exchanged a look with Madam Pomfrey and they had another silent conversation, although this time it was an argument. Finally Professor McGonagall conceded the point and inclined her head, and victory, to Pomfrey.

"Well, it's just going to have to wait until morning. I can see that you are all exhausted, even though I only examined one of you, and you will not be telling any stories or doing anything strenuous until you've had a decent night's sleep and a hot meal in the morning. You will all be given a dose of Dreamless Sleep tonight, no argument," said Madam Pomfrey all business like.

"There will be some precautions, however," warned McGonagall. "You will not be able to leave the Hospital Wing, I will put a charm on the door and windows. You three along with Dobby will be moved to the private room over there," she gestured to the room, "so that you can sleep in peace with another charm on the windows and door so that only I or Madam Pomfrey can go into that room, but you can still leave it, for you privacy and sense of peace." The three of them looked relieved at that.

"Will we be able to keep our stuff?" asked Harry.

McGonagall gave them a stern look for a moment, another look they were familiar with, before she said, "As long as you swear, you won't use anything dangerous on anyone unless to save your own lives until we know the full story."

"We swear," said Harry, Ron and Hermione at once without hesitating and their magic reacted to the promise as well. McGonagall nodded once, satisfied.

"Right," said Madam Pomfrey. "You two," she pointed at Harry and Ron, "need exams as well, so sit in those beds over there and I will be right over."

Harry and Ron, after he gave Hermione her bag back, sat down on the beds as directed and Madam Pomfrey came over and did their exams.

While Pomfrey was performing the exams, Hermione went behind the curtains again and changed into her pajamas and Professor McGonagall set about putting the wards up around the Hospital Wing. When Pomfrey finished performing Ron and Harry's exams, they got their pajamas from Hermione and went behind their own curtains to change.

"What's in that bag?" asked Madam Pomfrey curiously.

"Everything we need," said Hermione simply and Pomfrey let it go at that knowing she wouldn't get anymore from her as Ron and Harry came back out.

"Follow me," said Pomfrey as she picked up Dobby and led them to the private room just as Professor McGonagall finished setting the wards around the private room. Pomfrey put Dobby down on the far left bed when they entered the room while Ron took the next bed, Hermione took the middle bed and Harry took the last bed.

Professor McGonagall stood outside the door to the room while Madam Pomfrey went to get the three doses of Dreamless Sleep Potion to give to them.

When Madam Pomfrey came back, she gave a dose of Dreamless Sleep to each of them and said, "Please take that now as I want to make sure you take it and don't try to skip it. It should make you fall asleep instantly and any conversation you wish to have with each other can wait until morning."

Ron, Hermione and Harry nodded their heads in agreement as they were so very tired after the events of their day – really the events from the past few months. They took their dose, laid down and fell asleep at once.

Madam Pomfrey took the vials from their lax hands, covered them up as she does to all of her patients and left the room, closing the door behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: See chapter 1.
> 
> A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, favorites and putting me in your communities! I have no excuse really for how long I've been gone from this story...I can only hope that the next chapter doesn't take another three and half years to come out... :-/

Madam Pomfrey stood still outside the closed door before she took a deep breath to compose herself before leaning against the door to the room slightly in exhaustion.

"Are they asleep?" asked McGonagall quietly from beside her. Madam Pomfrey gave a little start, jumping away from the door, but she should have guessed that Minerva wouldn't have left after she finished setting the wards. Of course Minerva would have been waiting outside the door for her to come out to talk about what they had learned or more importantly, what they hadn't learned, about their mysterious guests.

"Yes," she standing up straight and motioning for McGonagall to follow her to her office. They walked to her office in silence, not chancing waking up the three sleeping patients this early into taking the Dreamless Sleep Potion as that could be dangerous and lead to some serious side effects.

They walked into her office, shut the door and McGonagall sat down in the chair in front of Pomfrey's desk while Pomfrey made some tea.

"What an evening this turned out to be," said Pomfrey, as she waited for the water for the tea to boil. She was just going to use teabags tonight. She was in no mood to be fussing with the other stuff.

"Yes and here I was hoping for a quiet one," said McGonagall, shaking her head.

"What a naïve thought for you to have, Minerva, in a school," said Pomfrey with a tired, teasing smile on her face.

"Oh, be quiet you," said McGonagall with a slight, tired smile on her face. Those spells she performed multiple times really took it out of her.

The teapot started to whistle and Pomfrey poured two cups, put a teabag in one and gave it to McGonagall so she could make it to her preferred strength and then she made her own. Then she handed McGonagall the sugar, the only thing McGonagall liked with her tea, and poured some honey in hers. When they were done making their tea, they sat and sipped it for a moment, mulling over what to do before Pomfrey spoke.

"What are we going to do?" asked Pomfrey in a quiet voice. They didn't need to worry about having to ward anything here, there were no portraits in Pomfrey's office, per Pomfrey's wish to respect her patient's privacy.

McGonagall took a sip of her tea to give herself a minute to think some more before she responded, "I think, Poppy, we should do what we have always done and err on the side of caution. We don't know enough about the situation as of yet. We don't know exactly who those three young people are. The only things we know for sure is their first names and that they escaped from a terrible situation. Probably from that lunatic, Voldemort."

"Shhh!" said Pomfrey, hiding a flinch. "You've heard what he's done and that he's got a taboo on his name! If they really have escaped from _him_ you don't want to draw his attention to here! Not to mention this is a school!"

"Sorry," said McGonagall, sounding sheepish. "I just can't see being afraid of a name! No matter what the person has done! It's ridiculous!"

"I can't either," agreed Pomfrey, "but we can't act like foolish Gryffindors when those young people need our help, that much I'm also certain of. They are out of their depth here. They weren't excepting the year to be 1977 although why, I'm not sure."

"I agree," said McGonagall, nodding her agreement as well as a plan started to form. "We should talk to them more tomorrow to find out why. Agreed?"

"Agreed," said Pomfrey, nodding her head.

"That one boy looks an awfully like James Potter though, don't you think?" asked McGonagall.

Pomfrey nodded her head in agreement, she had thought that as well when she was examining him, and added, "The other boy looks like a Weasley."

"And obviously Hermione is a Muggle-born," McGonagall said and added with distaste, " _You-know-who_ seems to have a fondness for torturing and killing them."

Pomfrey nodded her head. It made sense though she wondered as well if anyone else had gotten a close enough glimpse in the Hall to make the same assessment as Minerva.

"I wonder if Charlus Potter would be any help in this matter," ponder McGonagall out loud after a few moments of silence.

"Not Albus?" asked Pomfrey, curiously, raising her eyebrows, knowing that Albus and Minerva were close, with Minerva joining the organization Albus had just formed to fight Voldemort although she, herself, had not.

"No," said McGonagall shaking her head, "If those young people are who I think they are, then Albus will be of no help to them. He has to think, after all, of the many, not the few."

"Then perhaps," said Pomfrey after a few moments of silence on her part as she thought about what McGonagall said, "you should send Charlus a letter before you retire for the night?"

McGonagall nodded once and they both finished their tea in silence.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Great Hall, at the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables, several students were still frozen by the sudden arrival of the three teens and house-elf. Other students were in shock, silently wondering to themselves how this happened since they thought they knew you could not get into Hogwarts through magical transportation like that. Others were frightened, wondering if those students meant them harm, after all the elf had a knife in him so that had to mean something, didn't it? Yet, there were still others yet hoping that the little elf was going to make it and wondering who the teens were.

However, there were several seventh year Gryffindor students who were not frozen or wondering to themselves about the events that just happened.

"Bloody hell!" said Sirius and James together and Remus and Peter nodding their heads in agreement.

"I mean, just what the – bloody hell!" said Sirius. He was speechless and if his friends weren't as speechless as him they would tease him for being speechless in the first place for the first time since they had known him.

"I know," agreed, surprisingly, Lily Evans who was sitting on the other side of James.

"Since when do things like this happen?" asked Remus.

"It doesn't," said James. He was starting to come out of his shock. "We need to go back to our dorm."

"All right," agreed everyone, except Lily, nodding their heads.

"Coming?" asked James, noticing her lack of head movement.

Lily shook her head. Her friend had caught her eye and she could tell she wanted to talk about this and well Lily needed to talk about it with her own female friends and gossip and guys just didn't gossip the right way. James nodded his head in semi-understanding and gave her a hug and stood up with his friends which seemed to be a signal to everyone in the Hall because everyone else started to leave as well. Whoever said the Marauders weren't trendsetters?

The four of them walked in silence along the familiar pathway to the Gryffindor Common Room, the first time anyone in Hogwarts had seen them do that in their years here whether they be ghost, portrait, student or staff member, and again, if everyone wasn't preoccupied with their own thoughts and conversations, they would have marked this day on the calendar to remember it. They walked slowly and many other Gryffindors, who were talking to each other, passed them, mostly unnoticed by the Marauders.

The four of them took their time to get to the common room to give themselves time to think past _'bloody hell'_ and actually come up with a logical reason as to why suddenly three teens and a house-elf, with what looked like a fatal knife wound to them, would show up in the Great Hall. So far, all four of them were stuck on _'bloody hell'_ and didn't seem to be getting past it any time soon, which was a first for Remus. He didn't think much could shock him anymore.

They arrived at the picture of the Fat Lady, which all of them thought was a rather rude thing to be calling someone – three of them having been taught manners and the fourth following his peers – regardless of the fact that she was a painting, but she refused to give her real name out, said she didn't mind being called the Fat Lady, and Peter gave the password and she let them in. They walked in and saw that it looked like they were the last ones to get there despite the four of them being the first ones to leave the Hall. If everyone else, again, hadn't been preoccupied, they would have questioned how that had happened but alas, it seemed that that mystery was the furthest from everyone's mind.

However, it did seem like all the Gryffindors were waiting for the four of them to arrive because as soon as one of the seventh year girls saw them enter, she nodded to Lily who stood up and everyone fell silent.

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter all turned to looked at her, unsure of exactly what was going to happen, a little thrown on how the rest of the Gryffindors got to the Tower before they had _and_ had time to talk.

"It's been decided," started to Lily, "that we would call a quick House meeting to discuss the extremely unusual occurrence that happened at dinner tonight."

After that strangely proper pronouncement from Lily, murmurs started to break out among everyone and Sirius let out another, "Bloody hell is what happened."

"Isn't that the truth," said a fourth year boy standing in front of him, nodding his head in agreement as did several others in the room.

"Besides that, Black," said Lily's friend with a slight scowl on her face.

"Calm down, Mary," said Lily touching her arm to calm her down. Mary took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. She always acted this way when something unexpected happened to her or around her.

"Sorry," she said but Sirius just waved her off. Everyone handled stress in different ways and he was just going to keep repeating his catch phrase at the moment until his world straightened out and she could snap as much as she wanted though he hoped her next target was a Slytherin.

"I've never heard of this happening before," said Remus. "It's not mentioned in any of the books that I've read."

"It's not in any of the books that I've read either," said Lily, also nodding her head in agreement with what Remus said.

"I've never read anything like this happening in the Potter library," said James.

"Nor in the Longbottom library," said Frank Longbottom.

"Or in the Black library," said Sirius quietly.

Everyone choose at the moment to ignore the mentioning of the Black name and nod their understanding at what all the pure-bloods were saying. Nothing in any of their family libraries, which go back further than any public library, including Hogwarts' library, and had more _exotic_ \- for a lack of a better word - books, had any mentioning of this, so this must be a very big deal indeed.

Several more students voiced their agreement as well that they never read anything like this happening either.

Everyone was quiet after all that.

"What are we going to do?" asked Mary, in the silence that followed everyone's grave pronouncement at lack of information so far but before anyone could worry themselves into a tizzy.

"I think, first we have to wait and find out what is going to happen to the, for lack of a better word, visitors first before we can decide anything else. Agreed?" said James using his Head Boy voice. "If they are dangerous, the professors, who are among the best, wouldn't let them stay nor would the professors be fooled by them. If they stay, then we should probably use caution around them until we know more for ourselves."

After a moment of deliberation, all the students in the Gryffindor Common Room nodded their heads in agreement.

"This means," said Lily, "that after we find out what is happening to the visitors, we will have to have another House meeting so we can decide what to do as a House and present a united front while still being cautious about anything. These are dangerous times."

There were more nods of agreement at that as what Lily had said was true. Many of their classmates and/or housemates had loss family members and friends to _You-Know-Who_ , as he was starting to be called.

"Okay everyone is now dismissed and free to carry on and do your own thing now," said James after he exchanged a look at Lily who had nodded at him and slowly everyone dispersed into smaller groups to talk in depth on their thoughts about their unexpected visitors that night, their homework and earlier plans forgotten.

They went to bed after hours of further speculation, exhausted, nervous and somewhat excited for what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

The same exact conversations were happening in the other houses as well. In the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw House Common Rooms, they too came to the same decisions as the Gryffindor House, though there was more worry in the Hufflepuff House and perhaps some slight overthinking in the Ravenclaw House, which they all did not think was a bad thing in this case.

* * *

At the same time in the Slytherin Common Room, a different discussion was going on although they too reached the same conclusions as the rest of the school, except for two boys, who were lying in two separate dorms not taking part in the House discussion, lost in their own thoughts.

In the first dorm room, Regulus Black was lying on his back on his bed and having very similar thoughts to his brother's at first, having witnessed them in the Great Hall, though he chose to ignore the fact they had anything in common anymore, figuring any sane person would have very similar thoughts to what was going through his mind at the moment especially since he had never come across anything like this while reading any of the books in the Black Family Library and he spent more time in there than Sirius did, he was sure of that, just as he was sure that he read books that Sirius wanted nothing to do with.

It was unthinkable what had just happened. They were told time and time again that you couldn't Apparate, Disapparate or Portkey into Hogwarts – there were wards preventing that. So how had those three and elf done it?

Were they perhaps more powerful? A new side in this war between the Dark Lord and Dumbledore? Or perhaps someone already loyal to the Dark Lord or Dumbledore?

Being loyal to Dumbledore made more sense thought Regulus as he put his hands behind his head as he let out a sigh. He didn't think any followers of the Dark Lord would care if a house-elf died, except for perhaps himself but then again he wasn't a follower yet.

He stopped that line of thought. He didn't want to think about what would inevitably happen during the Christmas holiday.

He thought back to the arrival of the three visitors and elf. He had gotten a glimpse of the knife that Madam Pomfrey took out of the elf (he wondered what the elf's name was as he didn't hear it spoken and the elf deserved the respect) and if he wasn't mistaken, the knife looked like a Black Family Heirloom.

But what in the world was a Black Family Heirloom doing _in_ the elf? No one in his family would waste such a precious thing to kill an elf, they preferred to behead elves when the family hadn't anymore use for them. They would not want to risk losing such a precious heirloom in such a risky fashion, especially since those heirlooms had secrets that were only discovered if you were head of family.

Regulus rolled over on his bed until he was lying on his left side and stopped that train of thought as well when he heard the door to the dorm open, his dorm mates enter and their movements as they got ready for bed. His final thought before he closed his eyes to try to get to sleep was that he would just wait and watch and see what would happen next.

In the other dorm room, at the same time, Severus Snape, lay on his bed with a Potions book in his hand but he couldn't concentrate on it for obvious reasons. His thoughts were preoccupied as he suspected everyone's were in the entire school, except perhaps those bloody Marauders – they were probably thinking up another stupid prank for him.

He put the Potions book back in his trunk, closed it, got in bed and closed the curtains, not wishing to be disturbed for the rest of the night, not that he thought his dorm mates would, but better safe than sorry.

He laid down back on his bed, ankles crossed as he pondered what had happened tonight with one major question on his mind.

Should he tell his new master about what had happened tonight or leave it to someone else? He knew there were other Death Eaters in Hogwarts, not many because they weren't useful except as recruiting agents at school and picking up any information they could on the headmaster, not that the Dark Lord expected much though it didn't stop him from punishing them for failing.

He shook his head to himself. He should probably tell the Dark Lord and if others told as well, all the better because then he wouldn't be punished for keeping important information to himself. He might even get a reward for telling first.

He would inform the Dark Lord tomorrow as Severus suspected everything coming in and out of the castle now would be strictly monitored, not to mention that any student caught out of bed would be severely punished.

Decision made, he relaxed into his bed and closed his eyes as the dorm open and his dorm mates came into the room.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk in his office – having dismissed the staff, just as the students had started to leave the Hall, to make sure that no one was out of bed or out of bounds tonight – thinking about what happened at dinner tonight just like every other student and professor.

Albus knew he should go down to the Hospital Wing to check on the three intruders and the wounded house-elf but he also knew that Madam Pomfrey would let no others in to the Hospital Wing tonight unless they needed her help.

Besides that, Poppy and Minerva were both capable witches and Dumbledore had no doubt that they both could handle themselves, even if they were supposedly outnumbered and in the company of the enemy which Albus doubted. He had seen the look on the young man and woman's faces when they pointed their wands at everyone despite his shock.

They weren't looking for a battle – if anything the four of them were probably looking for safety, which Albus would be happy to grant to them.

No, what bothered Albus was their method of travel and their ability to break through wards while having those very same wards remain intact, – Albus had check after he dismissed his staff and he was the last one left in the Hall – there wasn't even a tiny crack in them, even the wards that were tied to him to alert the headmaster about intruders were functioning to their full potential.

So the questions remained, how and why?

Albus pulled a piece of parchment towards him and picked up his quill, dipping it in his inkwell. He would send Minerva a letter, perhaps she got some information from their intruders. Otherwise he would have to wait until tomorrow to talk to them.

* * *

Minerva walked at a steady pace back to her private chambers keeping her eyes peeled for anyone out of bed having just finished her tea with Poppy. She really wanted to go to bed, knowing she would have both an early and long day tomorrow, but as she told Poppy, she really thought Charlus Potter would be helpful in the days ahead.

She said the password to the portrait guarding her chambers and walked in, taking off her outer cloak and releasing her hair from her tight bun. She hung up her cloak on the hook by her door and walked into her room to her desk where she kept all of her parchment and ink.

She sat down at the desk and, ignoring the letter from Albus that was lying there - she would read it tomorrow, started to write her letter to Charlus Potter. Once she was finished, she called her owl over to her, gave the owl the letter and sent the owl out the bedroom window. Satisfied she did all she could for the night, she went to bed already anticipating getting up early in the morning to help Hogwarts' unexpected guests.


End file.
